New Year’s Eve 2026 in Sarajevo

By the ULTIMATE Sarajevo Editorial Team

Six nights of music opposite Vijećnica

Visit Sarajevo, the tourist board of Sarajevo Canton, sees out 2026 with a run of open-air concerts on First Police Brigade Square (Trg Prve brigade policije), across the river from Vijećnica, the old City Hall. Each evening starts at 8pm, and admission to all the concerts is free.

The line-up mixes the region’s best-loved voices: Tijana Dapčević on Monday 28 December, with Šlagang opening; Neno Belan on Tuesday 29 December, with Iza Ponoći; and Valentino on Wednesday 30 December, with Tonchy & Foršpil. After New Year, Divlje jagode play on Friday 1 January, with Bez Sluha, and Tony Cetinski closes the series on Saturday 2 January, with Sharry Band.

The tourist board’s programme lists no concert for 31 December itself, and the city’s plans for the countdown had not been published when we checked. Our advice: look at visitsarajevo.ba in the last week of December for the midnight programme, and dress for a cold night by the Miljacka.

Visit Sarajevo: New Year concerts →   Christmas in Sarajevo →

The Sarajevo Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert

The Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra plays its New Year’s Concert on Thursday 31 December at 7.30pm, a festive programme of waltzes, polkas and overtures conducted by Hakan Şensoy, with Geert Chatrou as soloist, in his first appearance before a Sarajevo audience. The concert is in the National Theatre’s programme for the evening.

The orchestra lists tickets at 90 KM for the boxes, 80 KM for the stalls and 70 KM for the balcony and galleries. The National Theatre says tickets go on sale at the start of December, through karter.ba and at the BKC and Skenderija sales points.

Our advice: the concert ends in good time for a late dinner in the old town; book the seats the day they go on sale.

Sarajevo Philharmonic: New Year’s Concert →   National Theatre: New Year’s Concert →

Hotel galas: Hotel Europe, Hotel Holiday and Hotel Hills

Hotel Europe holds a gala dinner on 31 December from 8pm with the singer Neno Murić and a surprise guest, at 250 KM per person (reservations by email to the hotel). A room package for two runs from 30 December, with breakfast, the gala, the pool and parking.

Its sister hotel, Hotel Holiday, holds its own New Year’s Eve gala dinner on 31 December with Nihad Alibegović, Esma Kovač and the Pink Panter band; the price was not published when we checked, and rooms are sold with gala tickets.

Out at Ilidža, Hotel Hills holds its New Year’s Eve gala on 31 December: a gala dinner, all inclusive, with Ana Bekuta, Šerif Konjević and Almin Džanković. Tickets are 310 KM per person, or 360 KM for VIP seats near the stage, and a stay with tickets has a three-night minimum. Our advice: these galas sell out well before Christmas.

Hotel Europe: New Year offers →   Hotel Holiday: New Year offers →   Hotel Hills: New Year 2027 →

The National Theatre before New Year

The National Theatre in Sarajevo dances The Nutcracker (Krcko Oraščić) on 15, 16, 18, 22 and 23 December at 7.30pm. Between Christmas and New Year it plays drama in Bosnian: Murder on the Orient Express on 28 December, already sold out, and Hasanaginice on 29 December, both at 7.30pm. Our advice: The Nutcracker is the one to see in the run-up to Christmas; the box office is at the theatre on Obala Kulina bana.

National Theatre Sarajevo: programme →

Practical: winter, Christmases and booking

Sarajevo keeps two Christmases: Catholic Christmas on 25 December and Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, so the festive season runs well into January. Between the two, the free concerts carry on into 1 and 2 January.

Our advice: book hotels and galas early, and walk between the old town, the river and the concerts rather than drive: the centre is compact and parking is scarce.

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